Ukraine's boxer Usyk starred in movie The Smashing Machine - Trailer

What "The Smashing Machine" is about

The movie tells the story of Mark Kerr, an American fighter who reached the peak of his career in the early 2000s. At the same time, he married Dawn Staples. Kerr was active in mixed martial arts from 1997 to 2009, winning four ADCC championships.

In 2002, his story became the basis of the HBO documentary "The Smashing Machine," which covered his struggle with drug addiction and problems in his personal life.

In "The Smashing Machine," the focus is not only on his sports achievements but also on personal struggles—from battling addiction to difficulties in his marriage. The plot also portrays his former wife, played by Emily Blunt, and her attempts to find her place in the complicated world of a champion.

Benny Safdie, one of the talented Safdie brothers known for their collaborations on films such as "Good Time" with Robert Pattinson and "Uncut Gems" with Adam Sandler, makes his solo directorial debut with this project.

In addition to directing, Benny also has acting experience, including a role in the Oscar-winning movie "Oppenheimer."

The script for "The Smashing Machine" was written by Benny Safdie together with Mark Kerr himself, the real-life prototype of the main character. The movie is produced by Seven Bucks Productions, headed by Dwayne Johnson.

Dwayne Johnson (screenshot)

In addition to Dwayne Johnson, the movie also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr's wife, former Playboy model Dawn Staples, as well as actors Bas Rutten, Lyndsay Gavin, and, of course, Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk plays the role of legendary MMA master Ihor Vovchanchyn, who fought Kerr twice. Vovchanchyn, a native of Kharkiv, is one of the most famous fighters in the history of the UFC and 1990s mixed martial arts.

The movie will be released in theaters on October 3.

Earlier, we reported that Usyk and Dubois addressed each other before the rematch.